Senator Merkley (D-OR) and Representative McEachin (D-VA) led the bicameral introduction of the Rural Health Equity Act (H.R. 5848/S. 3149) to establish an Office of Rural Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and help address the unique health care challenges and inequities faced by rural communities across America. Alan Morgan, National Rural Health Association chief executive officer, notes that, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the structural barriers facing rural Americans have become increasingly evident, and has exacerbated the need for rural representation within the CDC.”
